A fire broke out today (February 14th) at a resort hotel under construction in Busan, South Korea, resulting in the tragic deaths of 6 individuals and leaving 25 others with minor injuries.
According to local media reports, the fire at the Banyan Tree Hotel construction site in Geojang County, Busan Metropolitan City, started at 10:51 a.m. The suspected point of origin was a pile of insulation materials near the first-floor swimming pool.
Upon the arrival of firefighters, thick smoke had already filled the area. The excessive amount of combustible materials near the exits hindered prompt evacuation efforts. A total of 127 fire trucks and 352 firefighters were deployed to extinguish the fire and conduct rescue operations. Helicopters were utilized to rescue those trapped inside the building.
Due to the intense flames, the fire response level was raised to level 2 at noon. It wasn’t until around 1:34 p.m. that the fire was finally brought under control. The Busan Police Department has commenced an investigation into the cause of the fire.
It was reported that hundreds of workers were present at the construction site when the fire broke out, with the casualties and fatalities occurring inside the building. Over a hundred individuals were promptly evacuated, and the 14 workers who sought refuge on the roof have also been rescued.
Television footage showed thick black smoke and flames billowing out of the building as a rescue helicopter attempted to approach the structure and airlift trapped workers to safety.
South Korea’s acting President, Choe Sang-mok, instructed officials to “mobilize all available personnel and equipment to combat the fire” and emphasized minimizing casualties during the rescue efforts while ensuring the safety of firefighters.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Banyan Tree Hotel in Busan commenced construction in April 2022. The 12-story above-ground and 3-story underground luxury five-star resort was scheduled to open in the first half of this year.